“I welcome the UN Security Council’s decision to extend the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) for a final 30 days. This gives the regime one last opportunity to live up to its commitments.

“The Assad regime must take steps to establish an environment in which the UN Mission can work safely and effectively by ceasing the use of heavy weapons and the brutal assaults of its security forces. This is the final chance for it to do so.

“It is now for the UN Secretary General to judge how UNSMIS should be reconfigured. I pay tribute to the monitors who, with great courage, continue to do all that they can to help the Syrian people in their hour of need.

“We remain utterly resolved to support Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan’s work to secure a peaceful transition in Syria. We will be seeking new sanctions on the regime from the European Union and our allies. And we will intensify our humanitarian relief efforts, our work to document and deter human rights abuses in Syria, and our non-lethal support for the Syrian opposition.”